Ask the DOT: Faulty lights on Sakonnet River Bridge get some attention

Sunday

Dec 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Q: While I like the lights on the Sakonnet River Bridge I have been dismayed that they have not been fully functioning since they were installed. Every time I have crossed the bridge I have seen multiple...

Rose Amoros

Q: While I like the lights on the Sakonnet River Bridge I have been dismayed that they have not been fully functioning since they were installed. Every time I have crossed the bridge I have seen multiple lights out. Will you be fixing/replacing the faulty lights? If not, may I suggest you consider shutting them all off?

— Susan P.

A: Thank you for your question and for your kind words about the lights on the new Sakonnet River Bridge. Considerable time and thought went into the design of this $163-million project, the largest single construction project in the state’s history. Features such as the LED lighting were included not only to add a signature style to the bridge but also to help reduce its overall energy consumption.

Across the country, decorative lighting of this type is growing in popularity — as state DOTs work with local townships to design and build iconic structures that best celebrate and reflect the community in which they reside. Signature bridges such as the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in Massachusetts and the recently completed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California are prime examples; and closer to home, the Pawtucket River Bridge in Pawtucket and the Iway in Providence.

Like any manufactured product, however, these lights can sometimes be defective. This is the case with Sakonnet. All of our active construction projects, such as the Sakonnet River Bridge project, undergo an extensive review before we declare them complete. During our review of Sakonnet, we found that several of the decorative lights, located along the median of the bridge, were inoperative. We are working with the contractor to have these lights replaced; this will happen at no additional cost to the state.

Weather permitting, the contractor will begin installing the new lights by early February; we will then conduct another comprehensive review of the system to ensure everything is functioning as designed. Until then, we have turned the decorative lights off. The overhead lights will remain on for the safety of drivers crossing the bridge at night.

We were extremely proud to open the new Sakonnet River Bridge to traffic in 2012 — which eliminated a costly detour on Route 24 — and we appreciate your and the traveling public’s patience as we work to put the finishing touches on the bridge.

Rose Amoros, chief public affairs officer for the state Department of Transportation (DOT), answers questions of general interest about the state’s transportation infrastructure, which includes state roads, highways, bridges, traffic signals and bikeways. Questions are answered in the order they appear, and there may be a delay in responding. To pose a question, send a letter to Ask RIDOT, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. Or e-mail cars@providencejournal.com. Please put “Ask DOT” in the subject field. Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DOT directly and will not be answered in this column.